North Wales Trail Running

20 off-road routes for trail & fell runners

North Wales Trail Running is a comprehensive guide to off-road running across North Wales, including Snowdonia, Anglesey and into the Llŷn Peninsula and the Clwyds. With 20 runs from 4km to 20.4km in length, this book is suitable for runners of all abilities.

North Wales has some of the most diverse terrain in the UK, from rocky outcrops and large cwms to steep-sided valleys and magical llyns. It is a Mecca for the adventurous runner, and home to the 104km Paddy Buckley Round. In this book, author Steve Franklin has collected together many of his favourite runs, from low-lying loops around idyllic llyns and reservoirs, to serious hands-on-knees fell runs on some of Snowdonia’s biggest mountains. Summit Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Conwy Mountain, and discover quieter corners of the country around Cnicht, the Northern Carneddau and the Crafnant valley.

Each route features clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and timings, and refreshment stops and local knowledge.

A relative latecomer to the sport, Steve Franklin started running after a rock climbing injury left him unable to climb. He set the bar high with the aim of beating his brother’s Iron Man marathon time (three hours and ten minutes) but foolishly chose the Snowdon Marathon, the nearest one to his then home in Bangor, North Wales, to make the bid. Needless to say he failed, completing the marathon in three hours and twenty-one minutes. Since that fateful day Steve has left the tarmac and ventured on to the fells. He now lives in Sheffield where he owns and runs a running shop (Front Runner). He regularly heads back to North Wales for extended trips to run and climb, and in 2014 he completed the Paddy Buckley Round (104km and 8,500 metres of ascent and descent in under twenty-four hours).